Digitalization in the new era of oil and gas.

The oil and gas industry has entered a new era with the transformation of operations through digital communication technologies that automate, provide remote monitoring, and enable real-time asset management. These technologies offer the potential to accelerate productivity and reservoir recovery, improve efficiency, and provide superior protection for physical sites, computer systems, and workers.

To leverage these technologies, advanced infrastructure is required. Nokia’s technologies for oil and gas provide the necessary capabilities to elevate the industry to Industry 4.0, supporting both onshore and offshore operations, as well as downstream operations that include mobile communications with next-generation operating systems and real-time applications running on a single private LTE and IP/MPLS network.

What can the private LTE and IP/MPLS network offer?

LTE technology allows oil and gas operators to create a broadband network based on industrial standards that extend the reach of communications for exploration, transportation, and production. It provides broadband speeds that enable real-time communications for critical monitoring, control, and automation.

Private LTE offers high spectral efficiency and utilizes advanced digital communication techniques, such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), turbo coding, and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO). It operates in various frequency bands and adapts to different channel sizes, as well as to varying spectrum availability conditions.

In addition, with higher RF transmission power, better sensitivity, and greater EIRP than other wireless broadband technologies (such as Wi-Fi), an LTE network can cover the same area with fewer base stations, increasing network efficiency.

On the other hand, IP/MPLS networks enable operators to create versatile networks for individual applications with privacy, security, and reliability. It consolidates all applications into a single convergent network that provides the high-quality service (QoS) necessary for critical applications such as SCADA, land mobile radio, and video surveillance.

The IP/MPLS technology is the ideal complement to LTE, as its VPN capabilities can be extended through a broadband LTE wireless network while maintaining its security and management quality. This aligned and consistent service across the network simplifies operations and optimizes costs.

Improve remote operations

For the oil and gas industry, critical applications are even more important, as operations can reach remote and hard-to-access locations. To maintain productivity and control operating costs, there is a need for the ability to monitor and manage remote equipment, alarms, events, and field personnel.

The private LTE and IP/MPLS communication solution for oil and gas simplifies remote operations by enabling:

• Monitor and troubleshoot hard-to-access wells, pipelines, and other collection points with high-definition video.

• Interpret and correlate data flows from numerous sources, digitize, and automate critical processes for the company.

• Collect logs and respond effectively to alarms and events generated at different locations.

• Enable geolocation of people, vehicles, and assets, as well as wireless communications on offshore platforms and with vessels.

• Environmental condition monitoring with IoT sensors.

• Low-latency communications for autonomous vehicles and robots.

In summary, digitalization and automation are essential for improving the efficiency and sustainability of oil and gas companies. Nokia's communication solutions provide a reliable wireless infrastructure to enhance productivity and safety. They can keep everything connected, from vessels to workers, sensors, and operations centers.